Australian news, and some related international items

The protestors intend to march again on Monday. Donna Jackson, from the Larrakia people – the traditional owners ofland around Darwin – says she travelled to the mine to protest against uranium being transported through the Northern Territory. “We don’t want uranium coming through our harbour. It’s too unsafe,” she said. “We have a big wet season every year, nearly two metres of rain and there’s been lots of spillage. (photo below from ABC)

Organisers say about 450 people had just started their march from their campsite to the gate of the BHP Billiton mine, when their route was blocked by police officers.

Police say protestors broke an agreement not to use cars in the demonstration. But organisers says the car in question was not being driven, but pushed, by demonstrators. “What they were saying was you can’t drive your vehicles on Olympic Way to the gate which we haven’t been doing, so the lizard car was being pushed,” organiser Nectaria Calan said. “It’s a sculpture, not a vehicle in the sense of using it to drive people.

“They’re saying that for safety reasons we can’t take the vehicle on
to the road but there’s no other traffic on the road anyway because
it’s blocked.

“We’ll probably have a discussion about it tonight and discuss our
options and discuss the consequences of our options and also speak to
the police again and try and negotiate the car and just go from
there.”

The protestors intend to march again on Monday. Donna Jackson, from the Larrakia people – the traditional owners of
land around Darwin – says she travelled to the mine to protest against uranium being transported through the Northern Territory. “We don’t want uranium coming through our harbour. It’s too unsafe,” she said. “We have a big wet season every year, nearly two metres of rain and there’s been lots of spillage.

“There was a broken rail last year, a load of copper concentrate came
off the rail.”

Police arrested a protestor on Saturday night for traffic offences and
for refusing to provide personal details.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Smith said the protestors occupied a
protected area, which gives police more powers to stop them and demand
identification.